This invention relates to a unitary tool that can be used for cleaning up the debris in a sink and moving such debris into a sink drain. Once in the sink drain, the tool can be used to force the debris down into the chamber of a garbage disposal where it is ground up and washed away.
It has been common practice during the washing of dishes that the material on the dishes is swept off the item to be cleaned into the sink by a brush and the material is then subsequently forced down through the sink drain into the chamber of a refuse grinder such as a garbage disposal unit where it is chopped up and disposed of. As aforementioned, a brush is used for the cleaning action and for directing the garbage into the sink drain. At that point, the dish washer usually uses his hand or a separate plunger tool to force the material down through the sink drain into the garbage disposal chamber. Needless to say, using one's hand, this is very awkward and cumbersome and could potentially subject the person forcing the material into the drain to a potential injury or at the very least cause soiling the hands and possibly adjacent clothing.
Another problem that often arises with a plunging device such as a utensil used in conjunction with an electrical disposal unit is that the plunging device could come into direct contact with the moving electrical blades which would disintegrate the utensil and result in flying particles which would be hazardous to anyone in the immediate area.
Accordingly, it can be appreciated that if one were to have available to them a combination brush and plunger tool which would be used as a brush to move the material into the sink drain and then simply repositioned to force the material through the sink drain into the chamber where it is to be ground up by the garbage disposal, potential injury and clothing damage would be eliminated. It would also be desirable if the tool could be conveniently stored yet be readily accessible for use.